Shiver
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: During the Cullens traditional New Years masquerade party, Edward and Bella play a game that leads to a much more enjoyable way to welcome the new year. Lemon!


**BWA: Hey there, lovelies! Did you miss me?  
Alice: Yes! -Clings to BWA's leg-  
BWA: Um.. hi?  
Alice: Hi!  
BWA: -Laughs- I'm sorry I haven't been updating or posting new stories lately. My laptop failed on me a few weeks ago, so it's away getting fixed. Hopefully it will be back soon to continue its "long and happy life with me." -Giggles-  
Edward: You just quoted me..  
BWA: Why yes, yes I did.  
Edward: Why did you do that?  
BWA: Because you're very quotable.  
Edward: Oh. -Smiles-  
BWA: Anyway, thanks to the epic fail of the laptop, I didn't get to write a story for Christmas, which I would have liked to do. But then I realized that I could write one for New Years instead! So I sat down at our old desktop computer and I wrote and wrote all day and this is what I ended up with. -Grins- I'm very proud of myself.  
Emmett: I get to wear a mask!  
BWA: You all wear masks.  
Rosalie: -Laughs- Elise wouldn't let Emmett wear a batman mask.  
Bella: -Laughs-  
BWA: I wanted him to look formal and pretty for once.  
Emmett: But that mask was awesome!  
BWA: Are you going to argue with me on this? Again?  
Emmett: ... Am I allowed to?  
BWA: -Shrugs- Well, while I hear Emmett's argument on the batman mask, you go on and read. -Grins- We'll see you down below.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, Steph does. Lucky woman..  
**

* * *

I was never really one for parties.

Nonetheless, the only one I ever agreed to go to was the New Years party the Cullen family always threw.

It had become a tradition ever since our sophomore year. I had met Alice Cullen when she moved to Forks beginning of said sophomore year; she was a crazy little shopaholic that could squeal so loud that I'm sure everyone else in the Pacific Northwest could hear when she was excited about something. I still remember that one afternoon when she told me that she'd always wanted to have a New Years countdown party. Our other friend, Rosalie Hale had joined in on the brainstorming session. They made me input at one point, and I mentioned that I'd always had a thing for masquerade parties.

And that's how the tradition was born.

The first party went off without a hitch and Alice happily proclaimed that this would be a yearly occurrence. The Cullens New Years party was now something that everyone looked forward to. Some girls would spend the entire year looking for an outfit good enough for an Alice style party.

Not only did Alice demand I always go, but my boyfriend of four years (in about two hours) always managed to persuade me to attend.

Edward Cullen was one of Alice's older brothers, and I was more than happy to call him mine. Emmett Cullen, the other brother, was going steady and strong with Rosalie. Safe to say he was whipped. He'd do anything that girl asked him to.

I think he even let her paint his nails at one point.

Anyway…

Edward was the epitome of sexy. With his piercing green eyes, windblown bronze hair and a jaw so sharp it could cut glass… not to mention his god-like body and pouty lips that sent my nerves into a frenzy when they touched that one spot behind my ear…

Shuddering delicately, I brought myself back to reality as I turned off into the Cullens ridiculously long driveway. Alice, being Alice, had decorated nearly all the trees lining said ridiculously long driveway in bright twinkle lights. I couldn't blame her for doing it, without the beacons, people wouldn't know where to turn off at night time.

As I drove, the thumping music from the house reached my ears. I couldn't help but wonder who had picked the music this year. Jasper, Alice's boyfriend – and also Rosalie's twin brother -, had gotten quite a big say in the selections last year, so I think it was Emmett and Rosalie's turn to pick the tunes.

Pulling into a free spot, I looked up at the large, three story house, seeing lights blinking on the first floor. I couldn't tell whether the windows were rattling from the thumping bass. No doubt they were.

For about the eighth time in the last twenty minutes, I glanced down at what I wore. I had convinced Alice to let me have free reign of my outfit choice this year. Every other year, she'd demanded that I allow her to dress me, and she always put me in something skimpy and embarrassing. I was more than happy with my choice this year.

I wore a snow white halter neck dress made of relatively thin material. It swung to about mid-thigh and had a plunging V shaped neckline that showed a decent amount of cleavage. The skirt of the dress had a slight wave to it, a wrinkly pattern that fluttered nicely whenever I took a step. There was a small sash-like piece of material that hugged just under my chest, tying off in a neat little bow around the back. I also wore a pair of white stiletto heels. Alice had demanded I wear heels, so I'd spent the last three days clomping around in my new shoes, getting used to walking in them and actually managing to avoid breaking an ankle.

I was very proud of myself.

My hair was in a curly disarray, just as I wanted it. I smiled, flicking one of the curls that tumbled over my shoulders.

Glancing once more towards the house, I took a deep breath and turned my head to the passengers' seat of my truck, my gaze locking onto the mask that sat there. I had gone shopping with Alice and Rosalie a few weeks back, looking for the perfect mask, and thankfully, I found exactly what I wanted.

It really was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Gold and silver in its colouring, it was a stunning half mask that had a strange design at the top, almost like a gathering of leaves. Little crystals were embedded in the surface, balancing easily with the glittery strokes and patterns that danced around them. The oval cut-outs made for my eyes were surrounded in silver glitter, which was then outlined in gold, leading to the gold trimming that outlined the entire mask. To the bottom of that peculiar leaf design, a small gold flower pendant rested, with a deep black stone in the centre. Flowing out from underneath it was a long string of sequin ribbons; gold and silver swirls, entwined with beads that tumbled over my shoulder when I put it on.

Smiling brightly at my choice, I reached over and picked it up before raising it to my face and putting it on. The moment it was securely in place, I felt a fleeting moment of absolute freedom.

I highly doubted anyone besides my friends and Edward would recognise me tonight, and that gave me a powerful rush that I quite enjoyed. We had all finished school last year and most were preparing to go off to college within the next few months. The Cullens, the Hales and I were merely a few of them.

I took another deep breath and opened my door, sliding gracefully out of my car, letting my feet touch the ground before I hopped out the rest of the way, closing the door behind me. The few people standing outside turned to watch as I walked towards the house. Most of them, I didn't recognise. Must be some of the new students at Forks High. I smiled pleasantly at them as I passed, winking at the boy who opened the door and held it open for me.

The rush of the party swept over me the second the door closed behind me. The lights that I had seen flashing from outside were thrumming to the beat of the music, bodies swayed and the lights glinted off all the masks in the room. Smiling softly to myself, I began to weave through the throng of dancers, searching for at least one person I could recognise.

"Bella!" A familiar voice called, completely in tune with the song that was playing. I turned and locked onto the petite girl I was proud to call my best friend. "You look fantastic!" She cried, stopping in front of me and holding me at arms length so that she could get a better look at what a wore.

"Thanks!" I cried over the thumping bass. "But you totally steal the limelight, Alice. You look absolutely gorgeous!"

Alice wore a small black number that stopped at mid thigh and hugged so close to her body it looked like a second skin. It sparkled whenever the light hit it a certain way. Her outfit was more sexy and seductive than mine, and of course, her mask was made to match. It was gold and rimmed with black sequins. A large collection of sequins and beads were strapped to the right side of her mask, feathers stretching out and away, beads threaded onto the small spikes that held them. Six strings of beads fell from the mask, framing her petite jaw. She looked amazing.

Smiling brightly at me, Alice grabbed my hands and made me dance with her. We laughed and bumped hips, twirling and jumping along with the crowd until I announced that I needed a drink of water. She held onto my arm and led me through the bodies until we escaped the crowd and wandered into the kitchen.

"Wow," I muttered. "I can breathe now."

Alice laughed happily, "I'd say this party is a success." She chimed, positively glowing.

"Oh, because all the others weren't." I shot back, gratefully taking the bottle of water she offered me and taking a large gulp. "So, where's your cowboy?" I asked, using the term I had not so creatively come up with all those years ago to describe her boyfriend and his adorable Southern accent.

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively, "Somewhere around here. Last I checked, they were by the surround sound system trying to decide on a new mix CD."

"They?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, even though my mask allowed no one to see the movement.

"Yeah. Edward was with them last time I checked." She replied, smiling knowingly at me as my stomach twisted in excitement.

I couldn't wait to see Edward's reaction to my outfit choice, and I was rather excited to see what he'd decided to wear. I knew once I saw him I'd be walking around with red cheeks, a racing heart and the insane desire to drag him to the nearest bedroom and have my wicked way with him.

"Bella!" Another familiar voice called, and I turned to see Rosalie entering the kitchen, heartbreakingly beautiful, as always. "About time you got here, and looking rather yummy, if I do say so myself."

I laughed and flipped her off. No one could compare to the way she looked. She wore a dress that, like Alice's, clung to her body like a second skin. It was silver in colouring and completely strapless with a plunging neckline and a sinfully sneaky slit up the right side. Her mask was stunning, as she was. I couldn't tell whether it was light gold or a pale silver, what with the lights going off the way they were. It had a bit of a crown shape to it, with swirls and twirls of glitter that sat in all the right places. To the right was a design that looked almost like a wing twisting high in the air. It was gorgeous and very Rosalie.

The three of us settled down and began to chat, greeting the people that came into the kitchen, and stopping to talk to those whom we recognised. One of my good friends happened to spot me on her way in. Angela Weber was here with her long time boyfriend, Ben Cheney. She was wearing purple and looked beautiful. She waved when she caught my eye and then dragged Ben onto the dance floor.

"Bella?" Rose asked as we made our way back towards the dance floor. "You do plan on teasing tonight, don't you?"

"Hmm?" I asked, looking to see her and Alice smirking at me. Sure, I wanted to tease and taunt Edward a little tonight, but how did they know that?

Alice laughed, reading my expression, "Bella, we both know how you get with masquerade parties. Trust me, Edward loves the outcome." I blushed. "But, you are going to have your fun tonight, right? Be the sexy little vixen we all know you are." I went to object but she waved a finger at me. "You should try something that Jasper and I do quite a lot. Jasper's already brought it up with Edward and he was more than willing to have a go." She slipped an arm around my waist and Rosalie did the same, together, we walked over to the far side of the room and sat down on the couch there, listening as Alice continued to explain.

"We do this thing where we try to speak as little as possible. The part I like the most is that we try to avoid saying each others names before midnight. Normally, one of us gives in, but it makes it all the more fun, and the outcome ends up being much better." She winked at me and I laughed. She then turned her head to look at someone, and then grinned. "Give it a shot, they're on their way over."

Smiling in agreement, we stood up and I looked in the same direction as the girls. I looked over Jasper and Emmett first, saving the best for last.

Emmett was dressed entirely in black, save for the thin white tie he wore. His mask matched his clothes, a plain black half mask that suited him well. Jasper wore jeans, a white shirt and a black jacket. It was relaxed, and perfect for the music loving Southerner. His mask was more detailed than Emmett's, no doubt chosen by Alice. It was a half mask, like most; the bottom half was white and looked like it had small cracks running across it, while the top half was black and had gold designs on it. The entire mask itself was outlined in a strange gold pattern. He winked at me and I laughed.

I distantly realized that Rosalie and Alice had left my sides and were walking towards their other halves, dragging them to other parts of the house, but Edward kept walking towards me. After taking a deep breath, I looked at him.

And my heart stopped.

If there was a finer male specimen on earth, I would pay big money to see him…

Edward looked like… like… I didn't have words for how he looked. Bronze hair in its usual windblown disarray, pouty lips twisted up into a teasing smirk and green eyes swimming with love and lust. He wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath and a black tie around his neck. His mask was white, rimmed with deep gold sequins and had three silver stones on it; one on the left, one on the right, and one in the middle. There were also little silver swirls and twirls on it.

He was breathtaking.

I wanted nothing more than to rip off his mask and kiss every inch of skin I could reach, but we weren't allowed to take our masks off until midnight. My heartbeat stuttered when Edward came to a stop in front of me, and I took an immediate step forward to bring our bodies as close as possible. Edward raised his hand and brushed his thumb across my bottom lip, mouthing my name. I realized with a jolt that he was playing along. He wasn't going to speak.

I reached up, as he did, and traced my fingertips over his lips, across his jaw, up his cheek, over his mask and into his hair. He sighed and leaned down to kiss me. I stretched up on my toes and parted my lips beneath his; he groaned and wrapped his arms around my back, but not as tight as I liked – we had company after all. After one tiny flick of his tongue against mine, he pulled away, chuckling at the frustrated expression on my face. He winked at me and pulled me towards our friends.

Edward spoke to Jasper and Emmett while I danced with Alice and Rosalie. I hadn't had anything to drink, but I felt giddy with freedom. I loved masquerade; when you wore a mask like this, you could be anyone you wanted. There was so much freedom. I couldn't explain it, even if I tried.

When a familiar song came oozing out through the speakers, the entire crowd started jumping. I couldn't help but wonder where Carlisle and Esme were; they normally went out while the party was happening. There was one year when they stayed – that was a fun one. They actually let loose a little. I think Esme may have had a little bit to drink that night, though.

As the song continued, we all raised our hands above our head, jumping like lunatics. We sang along to the chorus and laughed when Emmett came over and started jumping with us. Jasper was over at the CD stack again, but Edward was watching me with those burning eyes of his. I winked at him and continued to dance. When the song finished the room erupted with exhilarated cheers. The girls and I went to mingle a bit more and then made our way to the kitchen again to get a few bottles of water. I realized, with a jolt of surprise, that it was 11:30. It'd be the New Year in thirty short minutes.

Making our way back to the boys, the song suddenly changed and my heart skipped. The tune had a sexy edge to it and it made me want to dance. I looked for Edward and saw him weaving through the crowd, making his way towards me. I met him at the edge of the throng of dancers, taking his hands in mine and walking around him. I stepped away but held onto his hands; he followed me willingly back into the crowd, his eyes not straying from my face.

_I'll be your entertainment tonight (tonight)  
I'll show you whatever it is you like (you like boy)  
Just sit back and enjoy the show (the show)  
And kick your feet up boy, here we go (baby hit the lights)_

_I need all of your attention (baby it's alright)  
You can admire my dimensions (oh-oh)  
Been working on my definition for you  
Tonight there's only one thing for you to do._

I stopped walking when we were deep into the crowd; I had walked backwards the entire way here, not ready to look away from Edward's eyes. He licked his lips and I sucked in a heavy breath.

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug in the wire  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug in the wire (oh-oh)  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_(Be my) Remote control._

I watched his eyes as the song continued, listening to the chorus, he had to know what the song was implying. His eyes darkened and he swallowed heavily. Smirking at him, I placed his hands on my waist, turned around, pressed my back against his chest and began to swing my hips.

He responded immediately, stepping closer and pulling my hips flush against his. I dragged my hands up from my hips, across my sides and through my hair before threading my fingers through his, winding my arms around his neck. He groaned into my hair, leaning his head down to rest on my shoulder. I grinned and bent my legs, dropping slowly to the ground, letting my arms loosen around his neck, sliding down his chest and dragging back up as I rose, swinging my hips against his obvious arousal.

_Don't adjust the station it is just right (just right)  
Name all your favourites, I'll be that tonight (tonight boy)  
ESPN aint nothing compared to this  
Think you've seen action nothing is like this (baby hit the lights)_

_Now I've got all of your attention (baby it's alright)  
You can touch on on my dimensions (oh-oh)  
Been working on my definition for you  
Tonight I'm the only thing for you to do_

Edward breathed harshly in my ear, and I gasped when I felt his leg slide between mine, his knee pressing against where I needed him most, completely hidden under my dress. He groaned as he felt the heat against his skin, jerking his knee roughly against my covered flesh. I whimpered brokenly and tipped my head back as our bodies continued to rock and sway. Edward met my eyes and my stomach twisted.

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug in the wire  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug in the wire (oh-oh)  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_(Be my) remote control_

_Oh, feels like you're there  
The picture's so clear  
You want to put it on pause (oh uh)  
Remote control me (hu-hu-hu-hu-hu uh oh)_

_Nothing like a late night flick to keep you enticed  
You want to see it again  
Remote control me_

Edward's hands were holding my hips so tight I had a feeling that I was going to bruise. Feeling his warm breath on my shoulder was driving my senses crazy, but when he parted his lips and dragged his teeth across my skin, I cried out, luckily, the sound was drowned out by the music. Edward froze and raised his head so that he could look at me, our bodies still swaying, but I didn't give him time to think about it before I attacked him.

I crashed my lips to his, pushing my tongue into his mouth. His grip on my hips tightened and I rocked back into him, causing him to groan sharply against my lips. His tongue twisted and tangled with mine, my fingers grasping blindly at his hair once again.

It wasn't enough.

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug in the wire  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_Remote control me  
Push the buttons to turn me on, please  
Pick me up; put me on the wall, please  
Just plug the wire (oh-oh)  
Make my volume higher, higher_

_(Be my) remote control_

Edward and I stopped rocking as the song came to a close, our mouths disconnected and we breathed heavily, trying to calm ourselves down. The song stopped and then changed, but I didn't hear it; I felt the thumping bass under my feet, felt it vibrate through my body. But I also felt Edward behind me; I felt the need for him crawling under my skin, and I knew it wouldn't go away until I'd had my fill of him for the night.

I shivered lightly before I turned around and met his gaze, his lips were parted and his eyes were glassy with need. My heart thudded against my rib cage and my intake of breath caught in my throat.

_You're free to be who you want to be tonight, Bella. _I told myself. _Make him control you. Show him what you want._

With my new found confidence, I stepped away, beckoning him to me with my finger. He took a willing step forward and I stepped back again. I knew he'd follow me. Smiling sweetly, I turned and began to weave through the still grinding bodies. I met the gazes of my four friends, winking at them and watching as they burst into laughter that was drowned out by the music. Alice winked back at me and put a finger to her lips, reminding me not to speak his name. But from the look in her eyes, I knew that I was allowed to make a certain amount of noise.

And I would.

Once we were free of the dance floor, I made my way towards the stairs, Edward still trailing behind me. His bedroom was on the third floor, and I hurried up the stairs as best as I could in stilettos.

Alice would be proud.

Eventually, we cleared the final lot of stairs and made it to the hallway that led to my destination. I continued on at a leisurely pace, swinging my hips a little more for Edward's benefit. I heard him groan softly so I knew I had done well.

I sighed quietly when I stepped into his room, his familiar scent washing over me as I walked further in. I wandered over to his couch, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows that replaced one of his walls. Leaning against the arm of the couch, I turned my head to stare at Edward who stood in the doorway, watching me with that familiar heated gaze. His chest was rising and falling steadily with his heavy breathing, his hair in an even bigger disarray than usual, and I couldn't help but wonder how many times he ran his hands through it on the way up.

Imagining him walking behind me, trying desperately not to reach out and take before we made it to our destination made me shudder under the moonlight. Gazing over at him, I mouthed his name and beckoned him over to me once again.

He growled low in his throat and crossed the room in three quick strides.

Before I could catch up with what was happening, Edward had me seated on the arm of the chair, his arms were around me and his suit jacket and tie were on the floor. His large hands grabbed my face and held it with the utmost care, being wary of my mask. Without waiting another second, he lurched forward and captured my mouth with his.

I groaned against his lips and immediately grabbed at his shoulders before sliding my hands down his chest and popping open the buttons on his shirt as our tongues twisted. He stepped forward and pushed his hips into mine and I gasped as his hardened arousal pressed against my overheated core. I needed him. Badly.

With quick, rushed movements, I got his shirt unbuttoned and it joined the other scraps of his clothing that was beginning to pile on the floor. His pulled his mouth away from mine and kissed his way down the side of my face, along my jaw, down my neck and back up to that little spot behind my ear and…

_Oh!_

My back arched and I cried out in ecstasy as he sucked on the sensitive skin behind my ear. My legs wound around his hips and tightened, bringing our bodies flush together. My head fell back and I moaned, biting down on my bottom lip as his hands grabbed my breasts, kneading them through the thin material of my dress. I never thought that not being able to talk to him could be so erotic.

Edward hissed against my skin, kissing his way down my neck to my thrumming pulse point. I felt his hands leave my chest, gliding down my stomach and under the skirt of my dress. One of his hands danced along the inside of my thigh while the other left my skin altogether. I managed to lift my head in time to see Edward push his pants far enough down his legs that his erection sprang free. He looked up and met my heavy eyes before the hand that was still on my thigh shot up and with one strong tug, ripped my underwear clean off my body. With hardly any time to recover, Edward stepped forward again, took hold of my hips, and thrust himself inside me.

I cried out, feeling him stretching me, sinking as deep as he could go. I locked my legs tighter around his waist and curved my body to his, taking short, stuttering breaths as he pulled out and thrust back in. Edward groaned low in his chest and wrapped one of his hands around the back of my neck, tilting my had back so that he could press his lips to mine. His hips lurched and collided with mine over and over, each one sending a shockwave through my body. I ran my hands across his sculpted chest, feeling the muscles tense under my touch as he claimed my body in the most pleasurable of ways.

Feeling my orgasm quickly approaching, I whimpered and twisted my tongue with his, relishing in the sound of his low growl which I swallowed when we broke apart to breathe.

"God…" I muttered, my head tipping back. "So close… harder, fuck me harder."

Screw not talking. He needed to know how he was making me feel.

"Damn it, Bella." He snarled, reaching down and under the skirt of my dress to press his thumb against my clit; that one little movement made the world around me explode in a white hot light. I gasped and writhed and wriggled and moaned as I rode out my orgasm, intensified all the more by the fact that Edward had not stopped his rapid thrusting.

"Edward…" I breathed, kissing up and down his neck. "The bed… take me to the bed."

His thrusting slowed and then stopped altogether, and I noticed that he was trembling slightly, desperately needing his release. I would give it to him, all he had to do was go to the bed.

He smiled slightly and set me down on my feet, sliding his hands down my sides so that he could grab the hem of my dress and pull it up my body, removing me of my clothing, my bra quickly following. Our lips met again and we began to stumble backwards, Edward kicking his pants off as we went. We were both breathing heavily, covered in a light sheen of sweat, and I could feel Edward, still hard and more than ready, against my stomach.

When the backs of my knees hit the bed, I wound my arms around his neck and fell, pulling him down with me. He chuckled as we relaxed into the mattress, kissing every inch of skin that wasn't covered by my mask. I smiled and reached down, grabbing him in my hand; he groaned softly and dropped his head to my shoulder, gasping in shock when I arched my hips and wound my legs around his waist, pulling him down as I pushed up. I sighed in pleasure as he filled me again.

He began thrusting right away, raising his head to stare down at me as I writhed beneath him, my back arching with each thrust, my chest heaving and my hips leaping towards his with every rocking movement we made.

He hissed as I trailed my fingers through his hair, pulling him onto me so that I could kiss him with every bit of strength I could muster. His tongue twisted and curled, and with every movement he made, no matter how small, the coil in my stomach wound tighter.

"Bella," He gasped, breaking away from my lips and gazing towards the wall of windows. "Look. Look at us."

Dazed, I turned my head and moaned loudly at the sight that greeted me.

Our bodies were reflected back to us in perfect clarity, our sweaty skin tangled together, our rocking hips, our chests that brushed every time he pushed forward and our burning eyes, locked together from behind our masks. I watched his hips as they moved, pulling back before lurching forward, and I heard each desperate noise that followed, my high whimpering and his low, steady moaning, blending together in the most passionate of harmonies.

"Bella, cum with me, sweetheart." He whispered, tearing his eyes away from our reflections to gaze into my eyes without the barrier of a window. He leaned his head down and captured my lips again, sinking inside me as far as he could go. And just like that, we were goners.

I cried out and squeezed all my muscles around him, my arms tightened around his neck, my legs tightened around his waist, and everything else worked to squeeze every inch of him that was currently kicking wildly inside me. He groaned and gasped as we shuddered together, my back arched and my eyes tried to roll back but I refused to look away from Edward's face as we continued to rock slowly. His lips were parted, those same guttural noises still rolling out from his chest. His eyes stayed locked with mine, burning emerald and melting chocolate.

As we came down from our highs, the sounds of our friend's cheers rolled up the stairs and under the crack of the closed door.

"_Three, two, one… Happy New Year!"_

Edward smiled and sat up, pulling me onto his lap; I stared at him in confusion, sighing as his fingers crept up my sides before eventually coming to rest at the bottom of my mask.

Oh, right. We were allowed to take them off now.

Keeping his eyes firmly glued on mine, he slowly and very carefully pulled my mask away from my face, smiling wider as the rest of my face was revealed to him.

"There you are, my Bella." He crooned, chuckling softly as I peeled his away. With no barriers between us, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my lips softly but repeatedly to his neck.

"Ah, Bella." He sighed, leaning back to look at me. "You're so incredibly sweet after sex."

I laughed lightly and brushed my thumb against his cheek, watching as he leaned into my touch. "That's because I love you."

His eyes softened and he leaned forward and kissed me so sweetly that my eyes prickled. I held his face gently between my hands as he ran his through my hair. His lips moved gently over mine and I sighed as we parted. He pressed our foreheads together and I nuzzled his nose with my own.

"What a way to welcome the New Year, huh?" I teased as he lowered me back onto the bed, holding me close to his warm body.

"Just think," he replied. "We'll be able to do it again next year, and the year after, and the year after that…" I moaned softly in agreement, stretching up to kiss him again.

When we parted, I saw his gaze travel over to the masks that now lay at the foot of the bed. "I don't think we should ever throw those out." He muttered, chuckling quietly.

I smiled, "Maybe I'll wear mine again sometime." I breathed, laughing when he groaned and rolled onto me again.

Oh yes, definitely a very happy New Year.

* * *

  
**BWA: So, what do you think?  
Bella: I think.. I love my life.  
BWA: -Laughs- Trust me, I wish I had an Edward to help me celebrate the new year like that.  
Edward: -Poses- Well, I don't like to brag, but..  
Rosalie: Then don't, idiot. -Smirks-  
Emmett: I didn't win the batman argument.  
BWA: It wasn't an argument. I write this stuff. So, I win before you even think of arguing.  
Emmett: Dang.  
BWA: -Giggles- Well, as always, leave a review and tell me what you think. I had a heap of fun writing this. The pictures of all the masks and Bella's dress are on my profile. Oh! And the song they danced to is called "Control Me by Rihanna."  
Alice: Jasper can control me whenever he wants.  
Jasper: I control everyone. -Stares- Mood control, remember?  
BWA: -Smacks forehead-  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Well, that's about it from us. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year and I wish you all the best for 2010!  
Edward: Daww..  
BWA: -Grins- Anyway, let me know what you think! I promise I'll be posting new stories real soon! Stick with me, everyone!  
Everyone: -Sticks to BWA with glue-  
BWA: I guess I walked into that one, didn't I? - Smiles and high fives Emmett- Um.. Emmett? You remembered to wash the glue off your hands, right?  
Emmett: -Stares-  
BWA: Aw, crap!  
Everyone else: -Laughs-  
Jasper: I guess you're.. stuck with us, Elise.  
Bella: Nice, Jasper, nice.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- See you later, everyone. **


End file.
